POTTERNE successfully chased down Downend’s hefty target of 300 to claim a seven-wicket win on home turf in WEPL Premier One.

The visitors made 299 before being bowled out with seven balls left of their 50 overs, although Potterne captain Ashur Morrison felt that total would have been higher had it not been for the efforts of Sahan Wijerathne (5-77).

Brandon Gilmour (59), Matthew Jackson (54), Joe Durrell (48) and Jordan Garrett (40) led the charge with the bat for Downend.

There were also several significant batting contributions when it came to Potterne’s innings as Hampshire player Tom Alsop (78) and Tom Cullen (46) shared an opening stand of 132.

Three quick wickets for Phil Jackson gave Downend hope but an unbeaten partnership of 155 between Morrison (88 not out) and Basil Akram (67 not out) led the hosts over the winning line with more than four overs to spare, finishing on 304-3.

Skipper Morrison said: “It was a really good effort with both the bat and the ball.

“At one point, Downend looked like getting towards 320 or 330, so we were quite pleased to chase 300.

“It was a really good effort in the field to peg them back and that was down to Sahan, who bowled really well.

“It was nice to have Tom Alsop in the side. He showed his class with a well-constructed 70 and his partnership with Tom Cullen set the platform for me and Basil to come in and win the game.”

Potterne now boast a record of five wins and six defeats from 11 games this season to leave them fifth in the table, 58 points adrift of leaders Clevedon.

“We have been very inconsistent this season,” said Morrison.

“One week, we blow the opposition away, and then another week, we are below-par.

“It’s just a shame we have lost a few games that were very tight as if we had won those, it would be a different story.”

Elsewhere, Goatacre suffered a seventh successive defeat and dropped to the bottom of the table as a result of fellow strugglers Frocester’s win at Taunton St Andrews.

Bristol were the latest side to inflict misery on the Goats, claiming a 50-run victory in Wiltshire.

The visitors won the toss and chose to bat but Matthew House and Jonathan Wilkins took three wickets each to dismiss them for 194, as Will Rudge top scored with 59.

Kieran Noema-Barnett then blew away the Goatacre reply, taking 6-38 as the home side were bowled out for 144 inside 35 overs. Opener Joe Breet top scored with 56.